Do not discredit the power of Social Media. One study has suggested that 90% of North American small businesses are on social media today. That's a lot of competition out there.

Social media is a powerful tool that gives businesses the ability to create and share content faster and to a much broader audience than ever before. It also can be the fastest way to salvage your business and curb any negativity.

Social media is social. It's about interacting and engaging. And remember, no one likes a braggart, even if your business really is the greatest in the world. The way you use social media can mean the difference between success, or being overlooked and falling by the wayside to your competitors.

I will show you how to become a Social Media Guru! By following this simple advice, your business will be able to compete, even stay ahead of your competitors, and gain the business success you've always longed for!

The benefits of effectively using Social Media platforms for business marketing are many - relatively low (or no) cost and ease of use, the opportunity to reach new customers and stay connected with existing customers about new products or sales that might be coming up.

Here's the Secret to Effective Marketing on Social Media....

Interaction: interact with people on a human level. Social media is social, requiring you to engage with real people. It's not just about selling to people. They have to get to know you and like what you have to say first.

Active Listening & Free Advice: Practice active listening, give out helpful suggestions and free advice, host contests and give-aways such as e-books to establish yourself as an expert in your field. However, no one likes a pushy salesman, so don't dominate the conversation or you'll turn people off. Be consistent and post regularly, at least once a week on each platform that you use.

Research: find out where your target market are hanging out and focus on targeting those social media platforms the most.

Content: have good content that people are interested in hearing about. What are they talking about? How can you add to that conversation? Find an article or write one that they may be interested in, and post the link on social media.

Branding: you want people to recognize your company by brand. Put your logo on everything. Use it as your profile picture or customized Avatar on posts and pages. Your website, brochures and business cards should follow the same theme and colour scheme.

One wrong step: Think about what you're posting. Something inappropriately said or posted by you, or by one of your employees, and the whole country will know about the gaff before noon. If it happens to you, be transparent and apologize immediately; that shows that you're an upstanding company and rebuilds their trust.